[Note from FOURTHCHILD:
Apologies for the delay in this letter.
Internet connection problems on the thirteenth!]
Apologies for the delay in this letter.
Internet connection problems on the thirteenth!]
438th AAA AW BN
APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
Thurs. January 13, 1944 1400
Dearest sweetheart –
Yesterday evening, just when I needed it most, I got a letter from you, a V-mail dated December 27. It was written late one evening when you had expected not to be able to write to me because of a busy day which you had coming up, but you did write the next day, too, darling, because I’ve already received that letter.
Bless your heart, dear, if you want a number, you can have one and if I thought it helped one bit, I’d write it all over the envelope. The mail is slow, dear, but even sporadically – it’s wonderful just getting a letter. There must be another bunch due because they’ve been very scattered this past week. I still haven’t received several from the second 10 days of December, and I’m still driving our mail clerk crazy each day asking him whether or not anything that might contain a swell picture has arrived for me. I drive him crazy, sweetheart, because I ask him twice a day, regularly, and of course he goes after the mail only once a day. But one of these days – it will come, and when it does, the whole outfit is very certain to hear about it.
What do you have in mind for a job, darling – I mean outside of being my wife, partner, secretary and constant companion and sweetheart? I do think it would help the time slip by better and swifter and get you out of the house. It’s a shame to hire your talents out to a stranger, though, when I could do with you so well right now. Whatever you do, darling, don’t promise anyone how long you’ll stay, because after all, I have some priority.
Last night I dreamed of you again, dear. I dream of you very often, now – and it’s so nice – as perhaps you know yourself. Most of the dreams are hazy and indistinguishable come morning, but I’m always aware of a pleasant undertone and that, of course, is a good sign. Always, in them, we are together (in every sense of the word) and we belong to each other – that fact is always established. So who am I to argue with my subconscious mind?
Last night I played bridge and my partner and I got taken – badly. It’s a good thing we don’t play for anything. Our opponents – by the way – made a Grand Slam, actually, dear, but unfortunately for them – they only bid 4 Spades. We just couldn’t get a decent bidding hand all night. The night before we saw the movie at the Officers’ Club – “No Time for Love” with Colbert and MacMurray. I hadn’t seen it – so I enjoyed it. It was a light comedy with nothing about war in it. Tonight I understand “This is the Army” is being shown – and if so, I’ll go see it with Pete. Incidentally I usually fail to tell you that I pass your regards on to Pete and Charlie. Actually – in our present set-up – neither is in the immediate vicinity of our headquarters – but Pete isn’t too far off – and I manage to see him rather frequently.
I haven’t heard from Stan since I mentioned it some time ago, but I imagine things are going along the same way. I expect to hear from Irv F. soon, because I wrote him some time ago. I have heard from a few people in Salem that I had written to and things are about the same there, it seems. Incidentally, the K.s still have open house Saturday nights – and our place is being kept open, as well as the one remaining bottle of Tequila which Ethel K. is saving.
Darling, I’ve got to run along now and take care of a couple of things. I had a busy night at the hospital – having to get out of bed 3 times – once to sew up a fellow who had been in a fight, once to take care of a fellow with a dislocated knee, and finally to admit a fellow with pleurisy. Total income for that – pre-war – would be worth about $13-15; total result last night – experience and lost sleep. But what the heck – I’ll make up for it. Darling, I know you’re lonesome – and so am I, for you – but it’s a pleasant lonesomeness and one which I know will culminate in long happiness for both of us. I know we will appreciate each other even more – for having been separated. So a stiff upper lip, sweetheart, and for now –
Yesterday evening, just when I needed it most, I got a letter from you, a V-mail dated December 27. It was written late one evening when you had expected not to be able to write to me because of a busy day which you had coming up, but you did write the next day, too, darling, because I’ve already received that letter.
Bless your heart, dear, if you want a number, you can have one and if I thought it helped one bit, I’d write it all over the envelope. The mail is slow, dear, but even sporadically – it’s wonderful just getting a letter. There must be another bunch due because they’ve been very scattered this past week. I still haven’t received several from the second 10 days of December, and I’m still driving our mail clerk crazy each day asking him whether or not anything that might contain a swell picture has arrived for me. I drive him crazy, sweetheart, because I ask him twice a day, regularly, and of course he goes after the mail only once a day. But one of these days – it will come, and when it does, the whole outfit is very certain to hear about it.
What do you have in mind for a job, darling – I mean outside of being my wife, partner, secretary and constant companion and sweetheart? I do think it would help the time slip by better and swifter and get you out of the house. It’s a shame to hire your talents out to a stranger, though, when I could do with you so well right now. Whatever you do, darling, don’t promise anyone how long you’ll stay, because after all, I have some priority.
Last night I dreamed of you again, dear. I dream of you very often, now – and it’s so nice – as perhaps you know yourself. Most of the dreams are hazy and indistinguishable come morning, but I’m always aware of a pleasant undertone and that, of course, is a good sign. Always, in them, we are together (in every sense of the word) and we belong to each other – that fact is always established. So who am I to argue with my subconscious mind?
Last night I played bridge and my partner and I got taken – badly. It’s a good thing we don’t play for anything. Our opponents – by the way – made a Grand Slam, actually, dear, but unfortunately for them – they only bid 4 Spades. We just couldn’t get a decent bidding hand all night. The night before we saw the movie at the Officers’ Club – “No Time for Love” with Colbert and MacMurray. I hadn’t seen it – so I enjoyed it. It was a light comedy with nothing about war in it. Tonight I understand “This is the Army” is being shown – and if so, I’ll go see it with Pete. Incidentally I usually fail to tell you that I pass your regards on to Pete and Charlie. Actually – in our present set-up – neither is in the immediate vicinity of our headquarters – but Pete isn’t too far off – and I manage to see him rather frequently.
I haven’t heard from Stan since I mentioned it some time ago, but I imagine things are going along the same way. I expect to hear from Irv F. soon, because I wrote him some time ago. I have heard from a few people in Salem that I had written to and things are about the same there, it seems. Incidentally, the K.s still have open house Saturday nights – and our place is being kept open, as well as the one remaining bottle of Tequila which Ethel K. is saving.
Darling, I’ve got to run along now and take care of a couple of things. I had a busy night at the hospital – having to get out of bed 3 times – once to sew up a fellow who had been in a fight, once to take care of a fellow with a dislocated knee, and finally to admit a fellow with pleurisy. Total income for that – pre-war – would be worth about $13-15; total result last night – experience and lost sleep. But what the heck – I’ll make up for it. Darling, I know you’re lonesome – and so am I, for you – but it’s a pleasant lonesomeness and one which I know will culminate in long happiness for both of us. I know we will appreciate each other even more – for having been separated. So a stiff upper lip, sweetheart, and for now –
All my love – Greg
Regards to all
L
G.